Aloneness and Love

I thought about how awkward the word 'aloneness' sounds, and considered the term 'solitude' in its place. But 'solitude' just does not convey the same thing as 'aloneness' to me. To be solitary sounds so abstract. To be alone is a profound feeling that we feel viscerally, i.e.  in the gut.

We pride ourselves for being 'individuals' in American society. And we go our own way. In this way, we find ourselves alone. Husbands and wives are alone. Parents are alone. Children are alone. Neighbors are alone. We say we want to be together. We wonder why they aren't together with us. And all the while, we emphasize difference from the other, and fly in a direction all our own that we take pride in. Then we look over our shoulders and wonder why they aren't with us. Oh, could it be that they're flying in their own directions and taking pride in their separate, isolated individuality?

Is there any way back from this aloneness?

The only way back from aloneness is love. Even if they don't want to be with us, we can still be loving. Love keeps the door open to togetherness. The alternative is to try to be okay about our aloneness, but there is no coming back from that.

There are times to be okay about our aloneness. There are times when we have to learn to be okay with our aloneness. It is only in our aloneness that we find the source of the spirit that flows through all things. There is nothing wrong, and everything that is right, about this kind of aloneness.

But the spirit that flows through all things doesn't wish us to remain alone. Spirit flows through us in our aloneness with the source so that it may rejuvenate us. Spirit lifts the individual spirit toward loving relationship with other.